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THE SONG OF DEBORAH (II)
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 18
Judges 5:12-22

Joshua 10:5-14

 

“The LORD fought for Israel.”

 

THE SONG OF DEBORAH (II)
 
The second lesson from the song of Deborah is that God controls circumstances. God’s cause is providentially carried out by human agencies. God can also divinely intervene, making use of circumstances and nature to accomplish His purpose. God used Jabin to chastise Israel. The oppression of Jabin woke them up and brought them back to their senses. They returned to God and forsook the idols. The Canaanite oppression had brought hard times (Judg 5:6-7). The hard times and oppressions were “God’s alarm clock” waking up His slumbering children.
 
“The river of Kishon swept them away…” (Judg 5:21). When God raised men, the tribes arose and followed after the leaders into battle. Inspired by their leaders, they marched into war. They “jeoparded their lives unto the death” (Judg 5:14-18). However, they came against a superior army, one that had successfully oppressed them (Judg 4:2) and was well equipped and had superior military equipment (Judg 4:3). But the Canaanites’ military superiority became their weakness in the battle field. Their iron chariots worked against them because God controls circumstances. He whose voice the winds and waves obey, was fighting for Israel, and elements of nature fought against the Canaanites (Judg 5:20). The enemy did not succeed in fighting against God’s children, and did not succeed in fleeing either. When the fight was lost, the flight too was futile. The help that came from God was sufficient for complete victory over the enemy. Hence in the song, Deborah sings, “O my soul, thou hast trodden down strength” (Judg 5:21).
 
The contrast and change of Israel’s conditions and fortunes are attributed to only one thing: their acknowledgment of God and their return to God. They were few and weak, the leaders did not manage to enlist all to help in the fight, but they were on the Lord’s side, and God who controls all of nature, enlisted the elements of nature to help them.
 
THOUGHT: Great are the things we may expect from God when His grace is our help.

PRAYER: (Use Psalm 79:8-9.)

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